Tell Sens. Tillis & Burr to REJECT Extremist Judicial Nominees Cory Wilson & Justin Walker

Last week the Senate Judiciary Committee voted 12-10 (on a straight party line) to recommend two extremist right-wing judges to lifetime appointments —  Justin Walker to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, and Cory Wilson to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. And now, Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell is hell-bent on ramming through a full Senate vote this week. NOTE: North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis sits on the Judiciary Committee, and he voted FOR these extremist nominees.

Background

There are only two vacant seats left on the federal circuit court. While the Supreme Court only takes up dozens of cases a year, hundreds of cases are decided at the circuit court level that have a big impact on our daily lives – cases that affect our health care, voting rights, worker’s rights, women’s rights, racial justice, and more.

Justin Walker—Nominated to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals: Justin Walker is a former McConnell intern with no trial experience. He called the Supreme Court’s decision upholding Obamacare “catastrophic” and praised Brett Kavanaugh for writing the “roadmap” for courts to overturn it. He supports unchecked executive power and will erode civil rights protections—a position made even more dangerous by the Trump Administration’s continued efforts to to attack all who are fighting for Black lives.

Cory Wilson—Nominated to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals: Cory Wilson called the Affordable Care Act “indefensible” and “perverse,” and fought efforts to expand affordable health care as a legislator in Mississippi. Wilson has also supported discriminatory efforts that would restrict voting rights for people of color, including voter roll purges and voter ID requirements. Wilson’s record is troubling in light of Republicans’ recent attempts to use the COVID-19 crisis to undermine our ability to vote.

Read more about both of these extremists in this post from The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.

What You Can Do

1. Call NC Senators Tillis & Burr

Sen. Thom Tillis: (202) 224-6342

Sample Script: “Hello, my name is ________ and I’m calling from [NAME OF CITY OR COUNTY] to let Senator Tillis know I am extremely disappointed in his partisan votes to approve Justin Walker’s nomination to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and Cory Wilson to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. When these nominations come to the full Senate floor, I urge him to vote AGAINST both of these extremists. It is the responsibility of U.S. Circuit Judges to preside fairly, but both Walker and Wilson have shown that they are anti-worker, anti-gay, anti-immigrant, and anti-women. They are not fit to be U.S. Circuit Judges. I urge the Senator to vote AGAINST their confirmation.”

Sen. Richard Burr: (202) 224-3154

Sample Script: “Hello, my name is ________ and I’m calling from [NAME OF CITY OR COUNTY] to urge Senator Burr to vote AGAINST Justin Walker’s nomination to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and to vote AGAINST the nomination of Cory Wilson to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. It is the responsibility of US Circuit Judges to preside fairly, but both Walker and Wilson have shown that they are anti-worker, anti-gay, anti-immigrant, and anti-women. They are not fit to be US Circuit Judges. I urge the Senator to vote AGAINST their confirmation.”

2. Sign This Petition

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights has

https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/stop-justin-walker-s-confirmation

3. Attend This Rally

Attend this virtual rally Monday 6/15 at 3pm, led by the Alliance for Justice, People for the American Way, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, and several other organizations, to protest the nomination of these extremist ideologues to lifetime, high-level, judicial appointments.

WHAT: Rally to Stop Trump’s Judges: Protect our Health Care and Our Rights
WHEN: Monday, June 15, 2020 at 3:00pm
WHERE: Livestream on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/events/276727473453616/

Stand up for impartial justice in our federal courts!